Cluster randomised trial of a school-community child health promotion and obesity prevention intervention: findings from the evaluation of fun 'n healthy in Moreland!

Background: Multi-level, longer-term obesity prevention interventions that focus on inequalities are scarce. Fun 'n healthy in Moreland! aimed to improve child adiposity, school policies and environments, parent engagement, health behaviours and child wellbeing.

Methods: All children from primary schools in an inner urban, culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged area in Victoria, Australia were eligible for participation.

Double disadvantage: the influence of ethnicity over socioeconomic position on childhood overweight and obesity: findings from an inner urban population of primary school children.

Objective: To examine the relationship between overweight/obesity in children, socioeconomic status and ethnicity/cultural background.

Design: Cross-sectional survey of children aged 4-13 years.

Setting: A total of 23 primary (elementary) schools in an inner urban municipality of Melbourne, Australia.

Addressing the potential adverse effects of school-based BMI assessments on children's wellbeing.

INTRODUCTION. Do child obesity prevention research and intervention measures have the potential to generate adverse concerns about body image by focussing on food, physical activity and body weight? Research findings now demonstrate the emergence of body image concerns in children as young as 5 years. In the context of a large school-community-based child health promotion and obesity prevention study, we aimed to address the potential negative effects of height and weight measures on child wellbeing by developing and implementing an evidence-informed protocol to protect and prevent body image concerns.

Audit of a behaviour modification program for weight management.

Background: The traditional management of overweight and obesity is to make weight loss the primary goal and to offer advice about eating less and exercising more. In controlled settings participants who remain in weight loss programs usually lose 10% of their weight, However, one to two-thirds of the weight lost is regained within one year, and almost all is regained within five years.

Method: At the Melbourne Weight Management and Eating Behaviour Clinic we designed a program to assist patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight.